An unusual morning discovery of a litter of newborn rats on a Mong Kok pavement has spiraled into a heated online debate, forcing netizens to confront a difficult question: when faced with infant pests, should compassion or pragmatism prevail?
It began with a Threads post last Saturday, where a female passerby captured a clip of about six pink, hairless newborn rats on a pavement with no mother in sight.
"I came across this in Mong Kok early in the morning," the user wrote. "The street cleaners were discussing whether to kill them or not."
The accompanying clip shows a street cleaner gently prodding the tiny creatures with a broom, as a voice in the background murmurs, "rat babies." The video ends without revealing their ultimate fate, leaving the moral quandary to unfold online.
Compassion vs. foolishness
Many online users highlighted the cleaners' hesitation as basic human kindness, who paused to discuss rather than sweeping them away like litter.
"No life is more valuable than another,” one commented, with some suggesting calling the SPCA for help.
However, others were far less forgiving, arguing that misplaced mercy would only lead to bigger problems.
"For the future of humanity, it is better to send them off rather than spare them," one commenter wrote.
Some even accused those who would spare the rats of being "hypocritical," warning that unnecessary soft hearts won't make the world a better place.
How about baby mice wine?
Amid the heated debate, some commenters played with dark humor, proposing various methods of "handling."
The most frequently suggested idea was steeping the baby rats in medicinal wine, which they claimed was excellent for treating bruises and sprains.
Some even pointed to a banned dish, "Three squeaks," which dips live newborn rat babies in soy sauce or sesame oil.
Additionally, several suggested that the baby rats could be used to feed lizards or snakes, which would offer them a death with "purpose."
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓
